Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31622516›Full record

ArticleProtein science : a publication of the Protein Society2020

Peppy: A virtual reality environment for exploring the principles of polypeptide structure.

David G Doak, Gareth S Denyer, Juliet A Gerrard, Joel P Mackay, Jane R Allison

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Protein science : a publication of the Protein Society, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
6.7field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 37 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. The virus lesson: Teaching viral structure and quasi-symmetry in mixed reality.Protein science : a publication of the Protein Society · 2026
    Article
  2. Exploring 3D Models Via Extended Reality Tools Using Common Smart Devices.Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Peppy: A virtual reality environment for exploring the principles of polypeptide structure.Protein science : a publication of the Protein Society · 2020
    Article
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

David G DoakGames Art and Design, Norwich University of the Arts, Norwich, UK.
Gareth S DenyerSchool of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Juliet A GerrardSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Joel P MackaySchool of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Jane R AllisonSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.ORCID 0000-0002-5699-1726
The University of Sydney · AUUniversity of Auckland · NZNorwich University of the Arts · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

A key learning outcome for undergraduate biochemistry classes is a thorough understanding of the principles of protein structure. Traditional approaches to teaching this material, which include two-dimensional (2D) images on paper, physical molecular modeling kits, and projections of 3D structures into 2D, are unable to fully capture the dynamic 3D nature of proteins. We have built a virtual reality application, Peppy, aimed at facilitating teaching of the principles of protein secondary structure. Rather than attempt to model molecules with the same fidelity to the underlying physical chemistry as existing, research-oriented molecular modelling approaches, we took the more straightforward approach of harnessing the Unity video game physics engine. Indeed, the simplicity and limitations of our model are strengths in a teaching context, provoking questions and thus deeper understanding. Peppy allows exploration of the relative effects of hydrogen bonding (and electrostatic interactions more generally), backbone φ/ψ angles, basic chemical structure, and steric effects on a polypeptide structure in an accessible format that is novel, dynamic, and fun to use. Apart from describing the implementation and use of Peppy, we discuss the outcomes of deploying Peppy in undergraduate biochemistry courses.

Indexed as

BiochemistryHumansHydrogen BondingModels, MolecularPeptidesProtein Structure, SecondaryUser-Computer InterfaceVideo GamesVirtual RealityPeptidespolypeptideproteinsecondary structureteachingundergraduatevirtual reality

Identifiers

PMID31622516
PMCPMC6933844
OpenAlexW2980458971

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.